Subaru will start selling the STELLA plug-in electric car in the Japanese market before the end of July. The EV is based on the STELLA mini car and has a 47kW lithium-ion battery.

Subaru may be best known for the snort-ripping STI but the future seems to have also caught up with the Japanese niche car maker. Subaru, through its holding company Fuji Heavy Industries, has announced that it will start Japanese deliveries of the four-seater Subaru STELLA electric vehicle in late July. The EV is based on the STELLA mini car.

The STELLA EV is front-wheel-driven and uses a high-performance lithium-ion battery that produces a maximum of 47kW (64hp) and 170Nm of torque. Subaru has run tests on it and found it to be capable of a 90km range when fully charged. Top speed is 100km/h.

It can be recharged up to 80 percent of its capacity in about 15 minutes when using the quick charging system. Under normal circumstances it's fully rechargeable in 8 hours through an AC100V household plug. The 8 hours can be further reduced to 5 when using an AC200V power outlet.

Emissions are said to be zero while the car also uses an energy recovery system for further efficiencies. The MSRP for the STELLA EV is ¥4,725,000 yen or US$49,150 (including consumption tax) and there are other tax benefits and subsidies that are offered to buyers because the car has been approved by Japan's Next Generation Vehicle Promotion Center.